 | Governor Sebelius serves on the National Governors Association’s Executive Committee and is co-chair of the National Governors Association’s initiative, Securing a Clean Energy Future. Sebelius is the immediate past chair of the Education Commission of the States and as past chair of the Democratic Governors Association, she currently serves on the DGA Executive Committee. |
On May 26, 2006 Sebelius formally announced her candidacy for re-election, she was challenged by Republican Kansas State Senator Jim Barnett. Sebelius, won with 57.8 percent – of the vote to Barnett's 40.5 percent. Because of Kansas' term limit law, her second term as Governor is her last.
Sebelius was born Kathleen Gilligan May 15, 194* in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in a Roman Catholic family. She attended the Summit Country Day School in Cincinnati, followed by Trinity Washington University in Washington, D.C., and later earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Kansas. She moved to Kansas in 1974.
Sebelius was director of Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, 1978-1986 and aide to Kansas Department of Corrections, 1975-1977
Prior to her election as governor, Sebelius served four terms (1987-1995) in the Kansas House of Representatives and two terms (1995-2003) as the state's elected Insurance Commissioner. As Insurance Commissioner, the first time a Democrat had won in more than 109 years. Sebelius reduced the operating budget by 19%. She refused to take campaign contributions from insurers and blocked the proposed merger of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, the state's largest health insurer, with an Indiana-based company. The decision by Sebelius marked the first time the corporation had been rebuffed in its acquisition attempts.
A former chairwoman of the Democratic Governors Association, Ms. Sebelius endorsed Barack Obama in late January 2008.
On March 3, 2008 President Obama introduced Sebelius as his choice to run HHS, including overseeing Medicare and Medicaid, "Kathleen Sebelius has a remarkable intellect, unquestioned integrity, and the kind of pragmatic wisdom you’ll tend to find in a Kansan," President Obama said as he announced the Kansas Governor as his choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. "I know she will bring some much-needed grace and good humor to Washington, and she will be a tremendous asset to my cabinet."
Married to husband, Gary, a federal magistrate judge, for 34 years, they have two sons: Ned and John. Both Sebelius boys are products of the Topeka public school system, pre-kindergarten through high school. Ned is a law student, and John is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. She also visits her childhood and current vacation home, located in Leland, Michigan, north of Traverse City, Michigan.
GUN CONTROL: Kathleen Sebelius fulfilled a promise to veto a bill allowing Kansans to carry concealed handguns, saying the measure would have placed law enforcement officers in an "untenable position."
SAME SEX MARRIAGE: Sebelius did not support an April 2005 amendment to the Kansas Constitution that made same-sex marriage in the state unconstitutional. Sebelius said she supported the existing state law outlawing same-sex marriage, viewed it as sufficient,
ABORTION RIGHTS: She is a Roman Catholic who supports abortion rights, and has vetoed anti-abortion. As secretary, Ms. Sebelius would have considerable influence over government policy on abortion. Although she says she personally opposes abortion, she has consistently defended abortion rights.
ENERGY: Governor Sebelius vetoed legislation that would have overturned a decision of her administration to deny an permit application to build two new coal-fired power plants because of the greenhouse gases they would have produced. The utility contends that by not allowing the coal-fired plants to be built, the governor will make Kansans pay more for electricity.
SOURCES:
- Governor Kathleen Sebelius Biography
- Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius - Press Photos
- MEET KATHLEEN
- CNN.com Election 2002 - State Races: Kansas
- Sebelius vetoes concealed carry bill
- Kansans vote to ban same-sex marriage
- Kathleen Sebelius News - The New York Times
- Kansas Governor Rejects Two Coal-Fired Power Plants
- The White House - Blog Post - Sebelius at HHS
- National Wild Turkey Federation:
1 comment:
I find it extremely intriguing that she "personally opposes" abortion and yet vetoes laws against it. Make no mistake, she is a Catholic in name only. I will pray for you Kathleen. May God have mercy on your soul.
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